A northern Kentucky drag racing track is fighting its neighbors and a court injunction to stay open and expand its hours of operation.

The owners of Thornhill Drag Strip in Morning View have amassed more than 1,300 signatures backing the idea of opening the track beyond the current six hours on Saturday nights between April and October. The Kentucky Enquirer reports that an injunction issued in Campbell Circuit Court in 1973 restricted operating hours.

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The court case stemmed from neighbors across the Licking River objecting to noise and fumes funneled toward their homes.

Cars began thundering down the track in the 1950s, after local legend says the 3,100-foot-long strip was built to accommodate planes carrying bootleggers in the 1920s.

Track owner Gary Koeninger says more hours are needed to keep the track operating and he's prepared to fight the injunction. Koeninger wants to add a Friday or Sunday to allow for makeup days if a race day gets rained out.

"We're just trying to keep the track open. It's the oldest continuous running track in the United States, as far as I know," said Koeninger. "If we get rained out, I have to give the money back to racers and spectators, and I still have to pay the employees," Koeninger said. "If I get an extra day, I can at least try to recoup some of that money."

A neighbor of the track, Rachel Hulette, says the status quo should hold in place.

"We're situated in a valley, so the amount of exhaust and fumes from the burnouts they do is significant. It's not pleasant to be around at all," she said.

Hulette understands that racing at the track is their tradition, but operating within the confines of the injunction should also be a part of their traditions.

"They've been in operation for 40 years with that injunction against it, so there's no basis for saying it can't continue to operate with the injunction, because it has for 40 years," said Hulette.

Kenton Fire Department Assistant Chief Chuck Grizzell has been coming to Thornhill for years.

"Even if the court specifies a number of weeks we could have races, that would be better," Grizzell said.

Gerry Meyer, who owns the property where Thornhill is located, said Thornhill has hosted races and musical events over long weekends, but that's not a possibility any more.

"We can't do big events. We have to limit entries to races because if it goes long, the cops come out," he said.

Koeninger said the track needs more days to stay viable as a business.

"We don't have the grandstands like big tracks, but this is our home track, and we like it how it is," said Koeninger. "We just want to keep it."